Trouble in the Bronx
If last April someone from the future were to knock on my door (i.e. a man with a silver jumpsuit and cataract sunglasses) to tell me that the Yankees would be 60-52 after 112 games, I'd do two things. First, I'd ask him if Stephen ever got back with Kristen. After that, I'd tell him I was very displeased with the Yankees.
I mean, how could you not be? These are the $200 million dollar Yankees after all, the same team that Vegas put an unheard over/under on regular season wins at 101. The same Yankees that signed Randy Johnson to be the Ace, Carl Pavano to be the Ace Understudy and slotted in Mike Mussina into the super-cushy Backup-Ace Understudy slot. The offense featured a small army of All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. It was an embarassment of riches.
Well, the Yankees aren't going to win 101 games. I would seriously consider signing off on 91 at this point. Today, word came down from Dr. James Andrews -- a.k.a. the Grim Reaper of Shoulders -- that Carl Pavano had a case of right shoulder tendenitis and was most likely done for the season. Unfortunate, but not a big deal, we've still got the Big Unit right? Not right. It was also officially announced today that Johnson would miss his next scheduled start with a bad back that many in the organization fear may never get better. Well, it's a good thing we signed Jared Wright, right? Ummm, no. Wright -- a questionable signing from the beginning -- hasn't pitched since April 23, and only now appears close to making it back to a major league mound. How 'bout rookie sensation Chien-Ming Wang? Former superstar Kevin Brown? Ummmmm...you get the point.
I'm not the biggest of Brian Cashman fans, but the rash of injuries to the Yankees' rotation has been so unthinkable, so absurd, how could you put any blame on the general manager? If we really need a sacrificial lamb, can we please check the credentials of team trainer Steve Donahue? I know he's been in the Yankees' dugout for roughly 78 years now, but are we sure he wasn't somehow grandfathered into the position? Someone has to look into this.
The Yankees rotation now consists of Mike Mussina, Shawn Chacon, The Artist Formerly Known As Al Leiter, Aaron Small and a player to be named later. Not exactly the stuff that dreams -- or winning streaks -- are made of. And if you're starting to worry about the Yankees playoff prospects (now 5 games behind the Red Sox and 4 behind the A's for the final playoff spot) you are not being paranoid. This is a team in serious trouble.
Then how are the Yankees still eight games over .500 and within striking distance for a playoff spot? That one's simple. The 2005 Yankees may very well end up with the dubious distinction of being the first team to include the league's Most Valuable Player (A-Rod) and the Cy Young award winner (Mo Rivera) and not make the playoffs.
How good have these two guys been? A-Rod's had more game than Talan-Hawk-Thunder-Cloud (yep, two Laguna Beach references), earning every dollar of that monster contract -- relatively speaking, of course. And Mo? What else can be said? He's the greatest relief pitcher who's ever lived, bouncing back from last October's Red Sox miseries to have his best season ever at age 33.
The rest of the team has more or less delivered as expected. Cano has been a nice surprise at second, filling the offensive void of the bumbling old man in center who stole Bernie Williams' uniform. Sheffield, Jeter, Matsui, Mussina and Sturtze have performed more or less as expected. Posada has slipped a bit, but he is a 33-year-old catcher with a ton of postseason mileage on him. Giambi has been a great story, and an even bigger surprise. Joe Torre seems to lose a little more off his fastball every year, but he is still the right man to manage this group. The core is still there, and it will be there playoffs or not next season.
In the end, it all goes back to that shredded pitching staff. Whether it is bad luck, bad conditioning, bad front office decision-making or something else, it is becoming to be more and more a possibility that the franchise's postseason appearance streak won't live past 10. Is it time to deliver that eulogy speech on the 2005 season? I wouldn't go that far.
I would consider readying a draft of the speech on your laptop, however.
I mean, how could you not be? These are the $200 million dollar Yankees after all, the same team that Vegas put an unheard over/under on regular season wins at 101. The same Yankees that signed Randy Johnson to be the Ace, Carl Pavano to be the Ace Understudy and slotted in Mike Mussina into the super-cushy Backup-Ace Understudy slot. The offense featured a small army of All-Stars and future Hall of Famers. It was an embarassment of riches.
Well, the Yankees aren't going to win 101 games. I would seriously consider signing off on 91 at this point. Today, word came down from Dr. James Andrews -- a.k.a. the Grim Reaper of Shoulders -- that Carl Pavano had a case of right shoulder tendenitis and was most likely done for the season. Unfortunate, but not a big deal, we've still got the Big Unit right? Not right. It was also officially announced today that Johnson would miss his next scheduled start with a bad back that many in the organization fear may never get better. Well, it's a good thing we signed Jared Wright, right? Ummm, no. Wright -- a questionable signing from the beginning -- hasn't pitched since April 23, and only now appears close to making it back to a major league mound. How 'bout rookie sensation Chien-Ming Wang? Former superstar Kevin Brown? Ummmmm...you get the point.
I'm not the biggest of Brian Cashman fans, but the rash of injuries to the Yankees' rotation has been so unthinkable, so absurd, how could you put any blame on the general manager? If we really need a sacrificial lamb, can we please check the credentials of team trainer Steve Donahue? I know he's been in the Yankees' dugout for roughly 78 years now, but are we sure he wasn't somehow grandfathered into the position? Someone has to look into this.
The Yankees rotation now consists of Mike Mussina, Shawn Chacon, The Artist Formerly Known As Al Leiter, Aaron Small and a player to be named later. Not exactly the stuff that dreams -- or winning streaks -- are made of. And if you're starting to worry about the Yankees playoff prospects (now 5 games behind the Red Sox and 4 behind the A's for the final playoff spot) you are not being paranoid. This is a team in serious trouble.
Then how are the Yankees still eight games over .500 and within striking distance for a playoff spot? That one's simple. The 2005 Yankees may very well end up with the dubious distinction of being the first team to include the league's Most Valuable Player (A-Rod) and the Cy Young award winner (Mo Rivera) and not make the playoffs.
How good have these two guys been? A-Rod's had more game than Talan-Hawk-Thunder-Cloud (yep, two Laguna Beach references), earning every dollar of that monster contract -- relatively speaking, of course. And Mo? What else can be said? He's the greatest relief pitcher who's ever lived, bouncing back from last October's Red Sox miseries to have his best season ever at age 33.
The rest of the team has more or less delivered as expected. Cano has been a nice surprise at second, filling the offensive void of the bumbling old man in center who stole Bernie Williams' uniform. Sheffield, Jeter, Matsui, Mussina and Sturtze have performed more or less as expected. Posada has slipped a bit, but he is a 33-year-old catcher with a ton of postseason mileage on him. Giambi has been a great story, and an even bigger surprise. Joe Torre seems to lose a little more off his fastball every year, but he is still the right man to manage this group. The core is still there, and it will be there playoffs or not next season.
In the end, it all goes back to that shredded pitching staff. Whether it is bad luck, bad conditioning, bad front office decision-making or something else, it is becoming to be more and more a possibility that the franchise's postseason appearance streak won't live past 10. Is it time to deliver that eulogy speech on the 2005 season? I wouldn't go that far.
I would consider readying a draft of the speech on your laptop, however.
posted by Dan Hanzus at 2:00 PM
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